Return to the Barrow Mounds:

[redwarrior]

Isvand moves up on the injured Lizard Man at a slow walk, firing two more arrows as he does so. Once the threat is over, he will see to recovering as many of his six arrows as he can in a businesslike manner. For now, his mile-a-minute rambling talking appears to be on hold.

Short Bow THAC019 [1d20]=17 Damage [1d6]=5
Short Bow THAC019 [1d20]=11 Damage [1d6]=4

[Leitz]

Steban

"Good shooting, you two," Steban said to Orgoth and Isvand. He continued to the scalp wearing lizard man. He grimaced at the scalp necklace, and then ripped it off the throat of the dead wearer. Returning to the sleeping foe, and seeing Amos and Gerdal sue for mercy, Steban just shook his head.

"Only they can grant what you ask, and they offer it not," Steban said as he held up the grusome necklace. "Now step aside."

Once the last of the lizardmen are dead, Steban spoke to Sven. "I don't understand magic, but what you did saved our lives. You helped justice."

[Spearmint]

"Only they can grant what you ask, and they offer it not," Steban said as he held up the grusome necklace. "Now step aside."

Steban's action for this round is to melee with the injured lizardman. So I will hold your action of attempting to slay the sleeping lizardman until the next and give space for others to act, particularly if you are giving a direction to them to step aside.

[sastaz]

Gerdal will step aside if directly asked to, giving Steban a stern Dana Scully sceptical sigh as she does so.

"Very well. But a dead lizard man cannot be questioned on the whereabouts of its tribe."

[Leitz]

"Only they can grant what you ask, and they offer it not," Steban said as he held up the grusome necklace. "Now step aside."

Steban's action for this round is to melee with the injured lizardman. So I will hold your action of attempting to slay the sleeping lizardman until the next and give space for others to act, particularly if you are giving a direction to them to step aside.

The way Steban is rolling it'll take a turn and a half to grab the necklace...

[OGRE MAGE]

I will assume the others follow Steban’s lead.

Sven is somewhat astonished by the carnage once the battle is won, retrieving his cricket and checking over the dead bodies after they are systematically put down by the fighters. (I think)

He comforts Amos and Gerdal as the unfortunate deed is done. "I am sorry friends, but there is no way we can let any of them go free. They will surely inform any others about what happened here. I think you would both like to keep your pretty hair and all those shiny piercings, right? So unless one of you actually knows their language…."

Turning to the others, he continues. "It seems your concerns were warranted, Steban. I don't think these chaps were up to any good deeds out here with a collection of human scalps kept as a trophy."

"Is everyone all right? Is anyone hurt?"

Nice job everyone! We know there is a wet bog very close by with a half submerged wagon stuck in it. I think it would be wise for us to submerge these bodies once they are thoroughly checked over.

[sastaz]

Gerdal actually looks more irritated than sad as the decision is made to mercy kill the remaining lizardmen.

"Yes, hiding them would be wise. However, I fear that bodies swell and surface as opposed to a wagon. So unless we tie the bodies to something heavier, I think we are better off just leaving quickly before other scouts from their tribe arrive."

[Leitz]

Steban

"Pierce the bodies in the abdomen," Steban said. He shrugged. "They will float less. Orcs do that to hide the dead they did not want us to count."


Later, after weapons are cleaned and bodies are disposed of, Steban will speak with Gerdal. "I'm sorry you think ill of me, but it was for the best."

[sastaz]

Gerdal replies

"It is fine."

Then, before the bodies are disposed of she produces some of her tools and pulls some scales and saws off a few clawed fingers and tail tips from the bodies.

"Very potent. These creatures can move freely and maybe even breath underwater. That power can be harnessed."

[Spearmint]

May 3rd 1066.

Barrow Moor, south of Helix. Duchy of Aerik.

10.55am. Visibility on Moor, varied, generally good to 30'ft, veiled to 60'ft, obscured beyond.
Cloudy, light breeze. Forecast light rain.
Effects: none.

Journey to 'Standing Stone camp.

No one confesses to being able to speak with forked tongue. Amos, steps aside.

The deed done. Blood trickles down the Standing Stone from the slit throat of the last of the lizardmen. He has no voice to plead for his life or to offer up a last prayer to some abominable deity.

The blue skinned bodies are casually searched and dragged to the boggy ground where the carcass of the mule lay. They are thrown into the soft peat with a leg and swing, soon to be partially submerged.

Amos passes Steban the red plumed helm of the deceased warrior. "You keep it. You earned it."

You can collect four spears and a dozen javelins, three rounds shield made of cured hide. Maybe alligator. They wear leather skirts and jerkins. The scalp-wearer had a hand scythe made of bone and sharpened to a fine cutting edge. He also carries a rolled up scroll. A parchment of vellum tied with a vine cord. You can open it. The words are in a strange script which once passed around reads as Dwarven.

"My honoured adversary, (Ngenga)

It is with regret I must inform you that tensions are high (tsahey) and the forest will surely resonate once more with the sound of war. Unless you return the stolen eggs, those recent captives (lom) will have their heads adorning our shrine and their skins dressing the drums (tsamkuk) upon which our fury shall be beaten.

It is not little thing to provoke the lament of widows and the grief of mourning orphans. Your fugitive priest will console those whose pain he has caused. May his god have mercy on an unrepentant soul.

In good faith we will wait three more days and then each captive, day by day will meet their doom, unless our demands are met.

May the Bridge of Peace span these troubled waters. (Ki'yevame). Meet there in three days.

Drennai, Exalted (tsamsiyu) among his brothers, Humbled only before his Queen."


the dwarven is interspersed with Sauron script which is an actual language and bonus xp to whoever names it correctly. Clue in the narrations.

The group take stock and time to bury the evidence of the event. Almost midday, you eat and then make your next decisions. actions please

[sastaz]

Posted simultaneously as GM. I assume its fine for Gerdal to collect the things I mentioned above.

[Spearmint]

absolutely. Collect what you want. The hand scythe too might be an appropriate extra weapon if Gerdal needs one.

If you do cross post, the system lets you know one extra post has been added in case you then need to edit as a consequence.

As an addendum. Nothing radiates as magic before anyone asks..

[OGRE MAGE]

Na’vi?

Did you forget to add the treasure list?

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven looks the parchment over carefully, not sure what any of it means at this point. After that whirlwind of excitement, he is ready to get back to slogging through the moors again.

“We should not linger long in the same place. Let’s get to the mounds while we still can.”

The mage sets out once everyone is ready to go again, he continues trying to follow their last path, conferring with Orgoth often so they stay focused on the task at hand.

[Spearmint]

Na’vi?

Did you forget to add the treasure list?

Was that Google or brains? +50xp

[Leitz]

Steban

"An interesting question," Steban said as he tore off a small piece of bread and then rolled it around a small chunk of cheese. "If we knew more we could help one side or the other in whatever war they are planning. To be honest, though, war is often a thing to be avoided. Perhaps if two tribes of lizardmen are warring against each other, the more peacable folk can defend themselves and hope things blow over."

He shrugged, and drank some water. "Which assumes the time line is still open; the scroll could be long past the due date. Nor do I understand why it was written in dwarven; does anyone know of local dwarves?"

When Sven suggested it was time to move, Steban returned to his place in line.

[Rex]

Orgoth

After collecting his Javelin's Orgoth gets in line and moves out.

[OGRE MAGE]

As they travel the rest of the way to the mounds, Sven quietly tells Steban what he has heard about any dwarves in the area.

"A clan of dwarves known as the Hammerhands, dwell in the northernmost areas of The Moon Peaks mountain range, near Bogtown. I've heard they mine metals and trade both raw ore and finished goods to the human settlements. But I don't know any more about them than that."

[sastaz]

After finishing her business with her smallest bone saw and carefully stuffing the cleaned saurial body parts into her seemingly endless supply of pouches, Gerdal puts the bone hand scythe in her belt as well and gets up to travel on with the others.

"Yes we should move on. *cough* I sense it will start raining shortly, possibly heavy precipitation. Look at those birds for example."

Gerdal points towards some red birds perched on top of a dead tree and sort of expects the others to understand.

When travelling, making small talk (regardless of whether she overhears Sven or not):

"Do anyone of you know the location of Bogtown?"

[redwarrior]

Isvand returns to his place in the order, muttering I'm gonna need more arrows. after managing to recover only one of his fired arrows.